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Demographic trends in European Union countries during the COVID-19 pandemic
Full text linkPURPOSE: The main aim of this study is analyse the impact of the pandemic on the
demographic situation in the European Union countries between 2015 and 2023. The
situation before the pandemic and its impact in 2020–2021 and 2022–2023 will be
presented.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Eurostat is the source of the analysed data. This study
employed taxonomic analysis, a non-model method. Four key variables were analysed across
the period considered: population density per 1 km2
, total dependency ratio, net migration
rate per 1,000 people and natural increase rate per 1,000 people.FINDINGS: The analysis revealed a decline in demographic development in the period
considered and a statistically significant decrease in the demographic development change
dynamics index during the pandemic.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results of the study can be used as recommendations for regional
development policies.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: A comparison of the demographic development of EU countries shows a
decline during the period under examination.peer-reviewe
Comparative study of iris-claw intraocular lens implantation and implantable collamer lens : patient-reported outcomes
Full text linkBACKGROUND: Iris-claw phakic intra-ocular lenses (pIOLs) and implantable collamer lenses (ICLs) are the main pIOLs in use. We aim to compare for the first time patient experience and satisfaction of these two techniques.METHODS: A cross-sectional study design, with no randomization or control groups was utilised. Patients who underwent either surgery between 2010 and 2020 were identified from hospital records. Phone interviews, performed in June 2021 used a semi-structured questionnaire divided into pre-operative build-up, patient experience and post-operative issues. A five-point Likert scale was used for standardisation. Perioperative data was collected from their medical files.RESULTS: After exclusions, 20 ICL patients (40 eyes) and 17 iris-claw patients (34 eyes) were included. A higher proportion of the ICL cohort completely agreed that the surgery has improved their vision significantly (ICL n=18, 90%; iris-claw n=8, 47%; P=.03) and that they would recommend it (ICL n=19, 95%; iris-claw n=8, 47%; P=.01). Postoperative issues were comparable, but iris-claw patients experienced more long-term glare (iris-claw n=8, 47%; ICL n=1, 5%; P<.01). Both techniques eliminated contact lens use. Astigmatic ICL patients were more satisfied, with 89%(n=17) completely agreeing that they would recommend the surgery, in comparison to 50%(n=6) of astigmatic iris-claw patients (P=.015).CONCLUSION: ICL is superior to iris-claw in terms of patient satisfaction, efficacy and long-term issues, and also in astigmatic patients. Short-term issues were comparable. Both types of surgery succeeded in decreasing contact lens use, further contributing to an improved quality of life. Clinically this could help guide phakic intraocular lens technique selection for better patient satisfaction.peer-reviewe
Advancing language teacher education : a multi-book review
Full text linkLanguage teacher education is at a critical juncture and requires a profound transformation. As the landscape of language teaching continues to evolve, driven by the tension between globalisation and deglobalisation, technological advancements, and shifting socio-political paradigms, the need for innovative and responsive teacher education has never been greater (Ying et al., 2025). Educators today must navigate increasingly diverse classrooms, harness digital tools effectively, and engage with complex pedagogical challenges that extend beyond traditional teaching methodologies (East, 2022; Lee et al., 2024). Additionally, the growing emphasis on equity, social justice, and critical approaches to language education demands a re-evaluation of how teachers are trained and supported in their professional journeys (Banegas et al., 2024). Language teacher education is a vital and dynamic field that needs to continuously adapt to meet the needs of multilingual and multicultural classrooms (Morea & Fisher, 2023). In acknowledgement of this idea, the four edited volumes reviewed in this article provide a comprehensive and multifaceted exploration of contemporary language teacher education, addressing both its theoretical underpinnings and practical implications. These works examine essential issues such as teacher autonomy, bilingual and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) pedagogies, digital innovation, identity formation, and critical perspectives on language teaching. After outlining the content and implications of each one, this article assesses the key themes that can be distilled from the four books. These themes underline the significance of advancing language teacher education so as to equip educators with the pedagogical expertise, technological proficiency, and critical awareness needed to navigate diverse classrooms, foster inclusive and equitable learning environments, and effectively respond to the evolving linguistic and sociocultural demands of the 21st century.peer-reviewe
A systematic review of the effects of nerve sparing during radical prostatectomy
Full text linkThis review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis statement (2009). MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, Health Technology Assessment Database, and Web of Science were searched from 1966 to December 2015, yielding 60 records.
RCTs and other controlled or comparative studies were eligible for inclusion. Studies reporting on at least one of the following outcomes, positive surgical margins, continence and potency with data available for nerve sparing and non-nerve sparing groups were included. 16 studies were available for final analysis and included 16269 participants.
Primary outcomes analysed where positive surgical margins and functional outcomes (continence and potency).
Comparing nerve sparing with non-nerve sparing prostatectomy, the proportion of cases resulting in incontinence is lower for nerve sparing prostatectomy.
The proportions of cases resulting in impotence were 0.92 (Cl: 0.88 – 0.96) for non-nerve sparing operations, 0.43 (Cl: 0.40 – 0.46) for all nerve sparing operations, 0.59 (CI: 0.51 – 0.67) for unilateral and 0.39 (CI: 0.35 – 0.42) for bilateral nerve sparing.
With regards to positive margin rates, these are higher for T3 cancers than for T2 cancers, both for operations that used nerve sparing and for those that did not. For T2 cancers there is little or no difference in the proportion of cases resulting in positive margins for operations with and without nerve sparing. For T3 cancers the proportions of cases with positive margins were practically the same for operations with and without nerve sparing .peer-reviewe
Bridging the Gulf : big answers through small Middle Eastern states
Full text linkThe small states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman,
Qatar, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) – have much to offer in terms of asking and answering
big questions. In particular, the GCC monarchies show how small states may manoeuvre amid
multipolarity, why democratisation can struggle to take hold in small states, and how leader
transitions shift or sustain small states’ foreign policies. In the Middle East and globally, the
GCC small states play big diplomatic, economic, and security roles that merit thorough
theorisation and astute analysis.peer-reviewe
Socialising children’s negative emotions in early education : adapting and validating a scale for teachers
Full text linkThis study aimed to adapt and examine the cross-cultural validity and reliability of the Coping with Children's Negative Emotions Scale - Teacher Version (CNNES-T), which assesses the levels of early childhood (EC) teachers' perception of their reactions towards young children's negative emotions. For this purpose, two studies were carried out. In Study-I, the scale is adapted using a team translation technique, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses conducted to investigate the factor structure of the adapted scale with a sample of 720 EC teachers. Study-I revealed that the scale's factor structure differed from the original version. In Study-II, the structure of the scale was analysed by considering internal consistency estimates and confirmed with an adequate model fit via confirmatory factor analysis with a sample of 358 EC teachers. Findings supported the two-factor model of CCNES-T in the Turkish context, consisting of 48 items with good internal consistency coefficients.peer-reviewe
Transnational care networks of ‘third country national’ women working in Malta
Full text linkThird-country national (TCN) women working in Malta face a number of barriers, as well as opportunities. Our paper is
based on qualitative findings drawn from 19 in-depth interviews with women from five South Asian countries (India,
Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh). Our research questions were aimed at illuminating their lived working experience
as women, and at times as mothers in Malta, intersectionally taking socio-economic circumstances and immigration
status into account. Our article expands on a cluster of themes that emerged as prominent across the interviews,
centring on key concerns around care, including family, motherhood and transnational care. Respondents referred to
their dual roles as providers and receivers of care and support locally and/or transnationally, with their role as providers
of care emerging as dominant. Their work in Malta was central, being sometimes a barrier to, sometimes an enabler of,
care networks. For example, a number of respondents brought up the impact that working in Malta has on their family
life, often leading to separation from their families who remained in their country of origin. Several respondents also
worked in care-giving jobs, which tend to be in lower-paid sectors, and which therefore made income-dependent family
reunification less likely. Most of them were also sending remittances back to family members in the country of origin. We
identify areas for improvement in the situation of TCN workers in Malta, in particular the need to enhance their quality
of family life and their access to support structures.peer-reviewe
The different definitions of multimorbidity and their implications for research, surveillance, and policy
Full text linkThe inaugural hybrid International Symposium, jointly organized by
the EUPHA Chronic Disease Section and Santé Publique France,
held on 26–27 June 2024, at Santé Publique France in Paris, marked a
key shift in the dialogue from managing and preventing single chronic
diseases to tackling the complexities of multimorbidity in both public
health and primary care settings. Experts from across Europe explored
multimorbidity’s prevention, surveillance, clinical management, and
policy implications. This editorial aims to provide a synthesis of the
symposium’s key messages on multimorbidity definitions and their
potential impact on research, surveillance, and policy. [excerpt]peer-reviewe
Analysing courtyards in vernacular farmhouses through space syntax analysis
Full text linkThe Maltese Islands’ domestic spaces have evolved over time, with each iteration aiming to reflect and respond to the cultural and social context of its era. This study examines the connection between domestic space and inhabitant behaviour through the lens of the traditional Maltese farmhouse, a key vernacular dwelling typology that embodies local architectural identity. Building on research in the literature, this study focuses on four case studies. This typology is characterised by a functional design responsive to its surroundings, featuring a central courtyard that serves as both a climate-moderating tool and a social gathering space. This space provides for natural ventilation and serves as a social hub for the residents; it is a space that serves both for gathering and communication and as a point of connection between other spaces within the domestic network. Focusing on the courtyard, this study offers insights into how this space mediates social activity, informs perceptions of the dwelling, and affects movement through it, reflecting the broader relationship between space and community life. This study reveals broader insights into how spatial arrangements and social dynamics influence and mirror one another.peer-reviewe
Examining the cognitive demands in biology and physics practical advanced level examinations in Malta
Full text linkCognitive learning is shown as a six-level hierarchy by Bloom’s Taxonomy, where
each level up demands more mental processing. Although educators have been
using it since 1956, Anderson and Krathwohl improved it in 2001. This research is
based on Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy, which consists of three lower-order cognitive
skills (LOCS): remembering, understanding, and applying, and three higher-order
cognitive skills (HOCS) - analysing, evaluating, and creating. The aim of this study
is to investigate the cognitive profile of the Advanced Matriculation practical
examination papers in Biology and Physics, local high-stakes examinations that
determine whether students meet the entry requirements for the University of
Malta. Data was gathered over a 20-year period from 72 papers and the cognitive
objective level of 394 Biology and 467 Physics questions was determined based
on Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. According to the results, Biology had a higher mean
percentage of HOCS questions (70.7%) than Physics (10.5%), which indicates that
Biology is a more cognitively demanding subject. There was a positive correlation
between the percentage of HOCS and marks, indicating that the more cognitively
demanding the subject is, the higher the marks rewarded to the HOCS category. The
number of cognitive objectives differed between Biology and Physics. The Biology
examination covered all six levels of the cognitive objectives however the creating
objective was lacking in Physics. This research suggests that careful design of the
Physics examination questions utilising various quantifiable verbs might be more
helpful in supporting the development of higher-level cognitive skills in formal
examinations.peer-reviewe